RCP1209_006-011_Hangar Talk 12/31/09 7:15 AM Page 7
Central Gulf of Mexico Lease Sale
to Offer 36 Million Acres for Oil and Gas Development
March 17 Sale Could Produce up to 1.3 Billion Barrels of Oil
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar Since January of 2009, the Minerals the lease term to 10 years.
has announced the Department will hold Management Service has conducted two “This new approach to lease terms will
an oil and natural gas lease sale for the offshore auctions and Interior’s Bureau better ensure that taxpayer resources are
Central Gulf of Mexico Outer Continental of Land Management has held 29 onshore being developed in a timely manner,”
Shelf that will offer nearly 36 million oil and gas lease sales. Together these Salazar said.
acres and could produce up to 1.3 billion sales offered more than 55 million acres The proposed sale area includes an
barrels of oil and 5.4 trillion cubic feet of of U.S. public land for oil and natural gas area known as 181 South, which has
natural gas. exploration and development and gener- about 4.2 million acres, located in the
“As we build a comprehensive energy ated more than $931 million in revenues southeastern part of the Central Planning
strategy for our nation, we are moving that are shared between the states and Area. The acreage in the 181 South area
ahead both with environmentally-respon- federal government. was offered for lease for the first time
sible renewable energy development on The Proposed Notice of Sale for the since 1988 in last year’s Central Gulf
public lands and appropriate oil and nat- Central Gulf includes a proposed revision Lease Sale 208, as mandated by the Gulf
ural gas exploration and development on- of the lease terms for blocks in water of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006.
shore and offshore,” said Secretary depths of 1,312 feet (400 meters) to 5,249 An enhanced revenue sharing program
Salazar. “Continued development in ap- feet (1600 meters). Blocks in 400 to 800 also mandated by that Act allow Al-
propriate areas of the Outer Continental meters change from an 8-year lease term abama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas
Shelf, such as in the areas we will offer in to a 5-year initial lease term, where com- to share 37.5 percent of all revenue from
the Gulf of Mexico, is a key component mencement of an exploratory well would leases in that area. In addition, 12.5 per-
of our efforts to reduce our country’s de- extend the lease term to 8 years. Blocks cent of revenues from those leases will
pendence on foreign oil.” in 800 to less than 1600 meters change be deposited into the Land and Water
Interior’s Minerals Management Ser- from a 10-year initial lease term to a 7- Conservation Fund for use by all 50 states
vice has proposed that oil and gas Lease year initial lease term, where commence- to enhance parklands and for other con-
Sale 213 for the Central Gulf of Mexico ment of an exploratory well would extend servation projects.
❚
Planning Area be held
March 17, 2010. The
Notice of Availability of
the Proposed Notice of
Sale will be published in
the Federal Register on
November 16, 2009.
The proposed sale en-
compasses about 6,800
unleased blocks cover-
ing more than 35.9 mil-
lion acres offshore
Louisiana, Mississippi,
and Alabama. The pro-
posed Central Gulf of
Mexico lease sale could
result in production of
up to 1.3 billion barrels
of oil and 5.4 trillion cu-
bic feet of natural gas.
The acreage is located
from three to 230 miles
offshore in water depths
of about 10 feet (three
meters) to more than
11,200 feet (3,400 me-
ters).www.ROTORCRAFTPRO.com • Heli-Expo 2010 Preview Issue 7Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4 | Page 5 | Page 6 | Page 7 | Page 8 | Page 9 | Page 10 | Page 11 | Page 12 | Page 13 | Page 14 | Page 15 | Page 16 | Page 17 | Page 18 | Page 19 | Page 20 | Page 21 | Page 22 | Page 23 | Page 24 | Page 25 | Page 26 | Page 27 | Page 28 | Page 29 | Page 30 | Page 31 | Page 32 | Page 33 | Page 34 | Page 35 | Page 36 | Page 37 | Page 38 | Page 39 | Page 40 | Page 41 | Page 42 | Page 43 | Page 44 | Page 45 | Page 46 | Page 47 | Page 48 | Page 49 | Page 50 | Page 51 | Page 52